Sickly Smooth
by tjmack1986
Summary: Shawn's sick, but it's no big deal, right? I mean, who dies from the flu?


**A/N: This is what happens when your sick for almost a month... Enjoy!**

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><p>Shawn curled into himself on his couch. His entire body felt as if it had been ran over by a large truck. Heat radiated from his body, no use in using a thermometer. It was more than obvious that he had a fever. Apparently taking those three days of sniffling and sneezing to deny the fact that he was getting sick had done wonders for his immune system.<p>

A cough croaked from his dry and parched throat. Soon, Shawn found himself in a full blown coughing fit that had him sitting up right. His arm grabbed around his middle, as his body shook through the violent coughing fit. After a moment he was back to a hack here or there, he laid his head back against the soft plush head rest. His head was spinning, and his temples were beating to their own tune beneath the skin. His lungs burned with each breath he drew in, and yet he had a slightly more pressing problem. His stomach was rolling uncomfortably, gagging slightly, Shawn was able to keep the bile exactly where he intended for it to stay. Inside his body. Yet, as more time passed by, the worst his stomach rolled. Giving up, Shawn weaved his way through his living room, only slightly bouncing off the walls. Finally, he made it into the bathroom and lowered himself to the cool tile floor.

He sighed, and let his body reek havoc on himself as he expelled the contents of his stomach into the white porcelain in front of him. His already dry, sore throat seemed to burn with a new intensity when he was able to retrieve his head from against the lid of the toilet seat. Sliding down onto the floor, Shawn laid his head against the cool tile. His eyes slowly drooped close as he molded his body into the fetal position.

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><p>Juliet sat at her computer, the report in front of her was halfway finished. Though technically it shouldn't even be in front of her. She deeply resented her partner for giving her his paperwork, while he sits at his desk, doing god only knows what.<p>

Sighing, Juliet tapped her fingers against the keys a couple of more times, before her phone started ringing. Removing one hand from the keyboard, Juliet picked up the phone and held it to her ear.

"O'Hara." She knew that her voice lacked the usual up-beat tempo it usually held, but she was starting to think she was coming down with something.

"Juliet, it's Gus-"

"Gus, I'm kinda busy-"

She heard him sigh into the phone, "I know, look I'm worried about, Shawn."

This time Juliet sighed. "What did he do-"

She could practically hear Gus shaking his head no. "Look, I know he was coming down with something yesterday when he kept sniffling and sneezing all over the office. I made him go home, cause God knows I don't want what he has-"

Juliet placed her head into her hands. She really didn't have the time or patience to play babysit Shawn Spencer today. "So he's sick? I don't understand-"

"That's just it, Juliet. He doesn't get sick often, at least not since he was younger. When he does get sick, it's really bad. It comes in a wave of three. First wave is sniffling and sneezing, which he is usually able to hide rather well, when he's not trying to sneeze on me. The second wave is basically the flu, only worse. It's the third wave that worries me-"

Juliet sighed. "Okay, Gus. If you're worried, why don't you call him?" She could tell that Gus really was worried for Shawn, but he was a grown man, even if he didn't act like it half the time. Surely he could take care of himself.

"I did. He didn't answer."

"Well, he's probably sleeping. If it'll make you feel better I'll stop by on my way home and check on him."

She heard another sigh. "Okay thanks, Juliet."

Mumbling a quick goodbye, Juliet hung up the phone, and sat it back down against the cradle. He was fine. People get sick all the time, it's no big deal. Even as she kept telling herself that, she felt a gnawing feeling inside that wouldn't go away.

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><p>Shawn groaned, one eye cracking open. The other was crusted close. Sighing, he slowly lifted himself into a sitting position. One thing was definitely different, he didn't feel as if his body was on fire anymore. Raising himself to his feet, Shawn moaned and swayed slightly. His body still ached, but he was fairly certain he had beaten his fever. Placing a steadying hand on the counter top, Shawn leaned forward and flushed the toilet. Walking slowly, he stopped in front of the sink and rinsed out his mouth.<p>

"I need to see, Jules."

He shook his head. Who in the hell was he talking to? Shrugging his shoulders, he held onto the walls for support. Grabbing his helmet and jacket, he made for the door before snagging his keys off the wall. Once he was outside, he strapped his helmet to his head before straddling his bike. Starting it up, the bike vibrated underneath him, causing a rolling nausea to hit him hard. Taking a deep breath, he took off. His stomach would have to just wait it's turn.

Shawn zipped through traffic, the bike swaying slightly with his body. The street in front of him blurred before spinning slightly. He sighed, it didn't matter if he could see straight or not, he was almost to the station and he knew these roads like the back of his hand. Slamming on his brakes, Shawn flew forward, his stomach coming into harsh contact with the handlebars in front of him.

He groaned, as he dismantled his bike. Taking his helmet off, he expelled the remaining contents of his stomach. He grabbed around his middle as his lungs throbbed uncomfortably. Weaving his body up the first couple of stairs, he looked at the rest with hatred. His breathing was labored, but he continued on. Once he made it to the top, he felt a tickle in the back of his throat that sent him into another violent coughing fit. His ribs felt like a bat had been taken to them, as each tiny breath he sucked in made his sides throb.

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><p>Juliet sighed as her phone starting blaring again. She had already decided that if it was Gus again, that she was just going to tell him to leave and go check on Shawn. The feeling that had rooted itself in the pit of her stomach, had not gone away at all.<p>

Picking up the receiver, she answered. "O'Hara."

She heard a deep sigh. "Juliet, it's Henry. Have you heard from Shawn today?"

Okay, maybe the feeling in her stomach wasn't all bad. "I'm sorry, Mr. Spencer.."

"First of all, Juliet, for the last time, please call me Henry. Second of all, I haven't heard from him in a couple of days. When I called Gus, he said that Shawn is sick. Typically in that situation, Gus drops him off at my house so I can keep an eye on him."

What in the world. Shawn was basically a grown man, why couldn't he take care of himself? "I'm sorry, Henry. I haven't heard from Shawn since his last case four days ago."

Now that she thought about that, it was weird. Even if he wasn't working a case with them, he always found a reason to come to the station.

"How about if I take an early lunch and go check on him for you?"

Another sigh sounded on the phone, and she could picture Henry running a hand over his face. "He's not home. Gus just left his place. Juliet, I'm officially worried..."

Juliet's eyes grew wide at the sight in front of her. Without a second thought, she mumbled a goodbye into the phone and hung it up.

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><p>Shawn whimpered with each step. His breathing had grown even more labored than before. Hearing heavy footsteps coming toward him, he looked up and saw Buzz McNabb rounding the corner.<p>

"McNabby..." Shawn's voice was hoarse.

"Hey- Shawn? You don't look so good-"

Buzz's arms reached out just as Shawn's legs gave out on him. Shawn fell into Buzz's arms in an unconscious heap. Hefting Shawn into his arms, Buzz turned back toward the station.

"Buzz, get him into the chief's office now!" Juliet yelled from her desk. Grabbing her cell phone, she raced after Buzz and Shawn.

Buzz nudged the door open with his foot, hoping that Chief Vick wouldn't yell at him for entering without knocking.

"Officer McNabb-" Vick stopped her rant before she got going. Her eyes glued to the unconscious form cradled in Buzz's arms. "Lay him on the couch. O'Hara, call for a bus!"

The chief walked around her desk, and knelt in front of the unconscious Shawn Spencer. Her hand reached out to touch his forehead, and sighed when heat radiated from it. For the first time, she noticed that Shawn was having difficultly breathing. His chest heaved up and down slowly. Juliet's eyes locked on the chief's as she waved her over.

"Help me. He's having trouble breathing."

Buzz carefully pulled Shawn into a sitting position, as Juliet stripped his jacket from his body. Once the jacket was removed, Buzz carefully laid him back down. Once his was flat on his back, the chief raised the hem of his shirt up, and sighed at the sight in front of her.

"That's what I was afraid of."

Juliet looked at what the chief was looking at and gasped. Shawn's middle was black and blue, as if someone had beaten him recently.

"From the looks of it, Shawn has a broken rib, and with his shallow-"

A gasp from the unconscious man in front of them grabbed all of their attention, as his eyes fluttered ope n for a moment before rolling back into his head.

"McNabb, go wait for the ambulance, direct them into my office, immediately. Juliet, I need you to start rescue breathing-"

Juliet shook her head firmly. Her hands shook as she held Shawn's nose with one, and pulled down on his chin with the other. Leaning over him, two quick puffs of breath rose his chest. Karen leaned over him, two fingers checking his pulse, while her ear listened for respirations. Shaking her head, Karen pulled her head up.

"His pulse is still there, weak and thready though. Go again."

Juliet filled Shawn's lungs with another breath. Counting off the seconds in her head, she watched Chief Vick's eyes. Again, she filled his lungs with air, and watched as Karen continued the same routine. This time, her eyes widen. Instead of speaking, Karen's hands came together and began pressing on Shawn's chest. Juliet counted off the compressions, and on number fifteen, she leaned back over top him. Two quick breaths into his lungs, in which Karen started the compressions all over again. By the end of the third cycle of CPR, the paramedics were shoving their way into the chief's office.

The first thing that Shawn noticed when his mind unclouded was the intense pain radiating from his ribcage. Groaning, he slowly blinked his bleary eyes open. Bright lights, check. Uncomfortable stiff bed, check. Constant beeping, check. He was most definitely in a hospital. Letting his mind drift for a moment, he was assaulted by images violent coughing sprees and throwing up. That's right, he had the flu. That exactly didn't explain his presence in a hospital. The flu didn't kill you- did it?

Hearing movement to his right, he twisted his head slowly. Juliet sat in the chair directly beside his bed, magazine in hand. Beside her, was his father. His head was tilted backward, a soft snore erupted from his mouth. Laying on his stiff shoulder was Gus. Both men were sound asleep. Shawn smiled.

"Jules." He croaked out, and fought against the urge to cough knowing that pain would accompany it.

Flinging her magazine to the ground beneath her, she fumbled with the glass and pitcher of water that sat on the table beside his bed. Carefully placing a hand behind his head, she held the glass to his lips as he gingerly sipped at the much needed liquid.

"How are you feeling?" Her blue eyes shone with nothing but concern.

"Like someone used my ribs as a punching bag." The grimace on his face was the period at the end of his sentence.

"Let me call the nurse, the doctor wanted to know when you woke up anyway." Juliet reached forward carefully to not place anyway weight against him, as she reached for the call button.

His hand snaked out and grabbed hold of hers. "Wait- What happened?"

Sighing, Juliet sat back down. The doctor could wait a moment longer. "You were very sick, Shawn. You had a severe case of bronchitis. The doctor said if you hadn't come in when you did that it would have turned into pneumonia. Why didn't you let someone take you to the doctor?"

Shawn ran a hand over his face. He didn't even know what bronchitis was, though he did know what pneumonia was. That he had, had before. "I thought it was just the flu. I mean, who dies from a bad case of the flu?" His eyebrow quirked.

"Lots of people, Shawn. If it gets bad enough it can cause respiratory infections. I really wish you would have called someone, even me!"

Shawn bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Jules."

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know you are-"

He looked up, "So some bronchitis is why I'm in the hospital, and feel like someone attempted to beat me to death?" That didn't even seem right to him. Even if he didn't really know what bronchitis was.

"I wish. Aside from the bronchitis, which was causing your coughing, you did have the flu. Did you happen to throw up any the past couple of days?"

Shawn looked at her sheepishly. Yeah, like he wanted to have _**this**_ conversation with her. "Yeah. Before I came to the station yesterday- or at least I assume it was yesterday."

Juliet shook her head. "Yeah, it was. Basically the coughing caused you to crack a couple of ribs. When you threw up, it caused the cracked ribs to break. Then when you arrived at the station and started to cough, it caused one of those broken ribs to puncture your lung-"

Shawn just nodded his head. "Oh."

Juliet sighed, "Now, I really should call for the doctor." She carefully reached back over him and hit the call button.

A little too quickly for Shawn's liking, a plump round nurse entered his room. She smiled softly at him.

"I see your awake, Mr. Spencer."

Shawn coughed lightly, grimacing at the pain that throbbed in his chest. "Mr. Spencer, is that lovely gentleman over there." Shawn paused to point at his now awake father. "I'm Shawn, his ever more handsome son."

The nurse chuckled at Shawn. "The doctor will be in here as soon as possible, but I have been given instructions to give you more pain medication when you woke up, Mr.- Shawn." She walked quickly over to his IV with a needle that seemed to be as large as the space needle. Shawn turned his face, and stared into Juliet's eyes, as the nurse plunged the needle into his IV. "There we go, Shawn. Those will probably make you sleep. Which is good, you need your rest, young man."

With that she exited his room. With a frown on his face, Shawn waited until the door slipped close. "I think I like, Mr. Spencer better."

Everyone in the room chuckled, glad to have Shawn back.


End file.
